Labour talks between Air Canada and its pilots are approaching a midnight deadline, when either side could trigger the start of a shutdown for Canada’s largest airline.
After more than 14 months of negotiations, starting Sunday the two sides will be in a position to provide 72-hour notice of a strike or lockout that could disrupt travel for the more than 100,000 passengers who fly the airline daily.
In the days leading up to the deadline, the two sides have said they remain far apart on the central question of pay.
The Air Line Pilots Association union, representing more than 5,200 pilots, has said it is corporate greed that’s holding up talks, as Air Canada continues to post record profits while expecting pilots to accept below-market compensation.
The airline has said the union is being inflexible with “unreasonable wage demands,” prompting it to call for the government to be ready …